More and more work is being carried out in contact with other people, including, in particular, those related to the health sector, however, the demands of this constant closeness and interpersonal exchange can have very negative side effects, one is known as burnout syndrome in health professionals.
Burnout can be defined as an emotional reaction due to the organizational or work environment, characterized by three main symptoms: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and lack of personal realization, in addition this has negative consequences for both the company in which the person works and by his own physical and mental health.
- This syndrome affects a wide range of healthcare professionals.
- From nutritionists.
- Doctors.
- Nurses.
- Pharmacists.
- Psychologists or psychiatrists.
- To occupational and family therapists.
- Social workers.
- Marriage counselors and administrative staff.
Moods have a direct impact on our thoughts and behaviors, depending on the state we find ourselves in, our judgments and decisions will be more or less altered, because we feel compelled, one way or another, to perform tasks or problems with different attitudes. .
If we have had personal problems that condemn us to some kind of perpetual anxiety, our professional performance can be seriously affected, this happens even when these problems have nothing to do with the work itself, we are distracted, un concentrated, vulnerable, inaccurate.
Trying to focus on work when our mind is busy with other problems is difficult, but if that level of concentration requires our performance to be high, it becomes even more complicated.
“A positive mood is associated with higher levels of creativity, innovation and greater cognitive flexibility.
Our attention resources are limited, so we notice more the negative effects of a depressive mood on tasks that require a lot of cognitive effort. The difficulty increases if one adds the “thoughts of ruminants” consequences generated by the emotional situation.
They vary by person, personal circumstances and characteristics of their work. Of course, one of the first warning signs is usually difficulty getting up in the morning or chronic fatigue.
In addition to this sign, this syndrome, also called burnout or work or that of the consummate, exhausted, or injured worker, causes other symptoms:
Some of the factors that contribute to the onset of burnout syndrome in healthcare professionals are closely related to the profession itself, particularly those that require intense, lasting or frequent human interactions, produce very high stress levels or maintain a high level of stress.
In addition, if the person is very involved in their work, they also have high expectations of their performance, which increases the risk of burnout. In addition, this syndrome is more common in women than in men.
Pines, Aronson and Kafry (1981), for their part, consider that the main origin of this pathology is occupational boredom, hence they consider that a number of emotional consequences would result from:
“Burn-out is a state of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion, caused by the person’s continued participation in emotionally affecting situations. -Pines, Aronson and Kafry-
Maslach and Jackson, through their Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) questionnaire, consider burnout syndrome among health professionals to be the result of the interrelationship of three aspects or dimensions:
However, differential diagnosis should be made in conjunction with two other syndromes: depressive and chronic fatigue, as well as crisis events. It should be noted that in recent years, burnout syndrome has increased its prevalence among health professionals. This reflects the relevance of stress to health, especially in the workplace and health.
In prevention, if we are at risk, we would do well to know this syndrome. In addition, it would be positive to obtain different tools, such as coping strategies, or improve communication skills; which will make us more resilient.
On the part of institutions or companies, it is important to promote teamwork and regular monitoring of working conditions; it would be a good idea to take classes. in addition to essentially practical workshops for those who need to perform tasks of great responsibility and in constant contact with others.